Kanupriya Kapoor

SINGAPORE, (Reuters) – Edward O. Wilson, a U.S. naturalist, was killed on Sunday in Massachusetts at the age of 92, according to his foundation in a statement.

Wilson, along with David Attenborough (British naturalist), was seen as one of the most respected authorities in natural history and conservation.

Wilson’s Half-Earth Project proposes protecting 50% of the Earth’s land, sea and air so that enough ecosystems can be created to reverse the trend towards species extinction.

The United Nations has urged countries to commit to conserving 30% of their land and water – almost double the area now under some form of protection – by 2030, a target known as “30 by 30” and inspired in part by Wilson.

Wilson, who was also an authority worldwide on ants and discovered nearly 400 species of them, became a leading expert. Two Pulitzer Prize-winning books were his creations, and he popularized “biodiversity”.

A Harvard University scientist, the author of the book on biodiversity had just published his latest publication in a series of long-running books. He was currently living in a northeastern United States retirement community.